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King’s X drummer Jerry Gaskill suffered heart attack {currently recovering / US Tour canceled}
Updated as health news comes in (see below)…
Earlier this morning (2/26/12), news surfaced on Facebook that King’s X drummer Jerry Gaskill suffered a heart attack and is currently in the ICU. Keep him in your thoughts and hope he gets stellar medical supervision & help!
Obviously, no word on how this will impact the upcoming KX tour (that was to kick off at the end of March), but (tour canceled – see below) I know any KX fan would want him to get better versus over-exerting himself on the road! His health is way more important, but we hope he’s healthy to hit the road after some rest & recovery.
From bassist/singer dUg Pinnick said on FB: “He was operated on and is in stable condition at the hospital. Were all waiting for more info.” Then posted this on twitter…
jerry had a heart attack last night, they operated on him, is sedated and on a ventilator, will keep you posted.
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) February 26, 2012Jerry’s drumtech Chris ‘JRAB’ Thomas has a post in this blog’s comments section. Also stay tuned to www.kingsxrocks.com for add’l updates.
2/27/12 updates 1 & 2 from dUg…
Jerry woke up pulling chords out, hes fiesty! that's a good sign! thanks everyone for prayers and good vibes!
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) February 27, 2012cords… chords… he’s a musician; so I’ll cut him some slack :)
Update, Jerry is the same, heavily sedated, things can only get better,
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) February 27, 2012on FB (2/27/12) , he also added…
“heavily sedated and on the ventilator, they are going to
try to take the balloon pump out tomorrow”
2/28/12 update from dUg and Blabbermouth…
Jerry is still sedated on ventilator,but they took the balloon out, they have lowered the blood pressure meds 3 times!!
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) February 28, 2012In light of Jerry‘s sudden hospitalization, all previously announced North American tour dates for KING’S X have been cancelled. Jerry will be taking the time to recover back to full health so that he can hopefully join the band behind the drums at some point in the future.
2/29/12 update from dUg…
Jerry still sedated on ventilator, he's moving in the right direction". He also has pneumonia in both lungs.
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) February 29, 20123/1/12 update from dUg…
Jerry is still sedated and no change, the antibiotics are working on the pneumonia. Dr. says these things will take time
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) March 01, 2012also, a place to send flowers: Riverview Hospital 1 River Plaza Red Bank NJ 07701 For patient Jerry Gaskill. Since he is in ICU flowers are not accepted.
3/2/12 update from dUg…
Jerry is the same, but has developed new lung problem, they are doing an operation to help him breath better.
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) March 02, 20123/5/12 update from dUg…
Jerry is the same, and is recovering, He is strong!
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) March 05, 2012There is a music event on March 28th in Austin, Texas for Jerry… JERRY JAM – Wednesday, March 28th @ the DIRTY DOG Bar – 505 East 6th Street – Austin, Texas.
$5 Donation at door
Special showing of the KING’S X “Live Love In London” DVD which starts at 7pm with Live music immediately following with: HONEYCREEPER, MARSHALL DYLAN, CRITICAL ASSEMBLY, and T.B.A.
FREE Pizza (with donation), Raffles ALL night and an Auction.
A PayPal account will be set up soon for donations for friends/fans that can’t make it.
Special Guests and more…come out and support Jerry to a speedy recovery and to help him out in his time of need!!
3/8/12 update from dUg…
Update!! Jerry is much better, he is awake, and getting stronger. Yay!!!
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) March 08, 20123/9/12 update from Molken Music & an update from dUg…
You can donate to Jerry Gaskill’s medical expenses and with a $20 donation, you get a download of King’s X in Boston June 1991… GO HERE.
jerry gave thumb up, recognize everyone.Is having some difficulty with breathing but overall looks sharp.
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) March 10, 20123/11/12 update from dUg…
Update!! Julie said Jerry was setting in a chair getting his hair washed, Hes breathing on his own also.
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) March 11, 20123/13/12 update from dUg…
Jerry has regular room.off ventilator.Had physical therapy assessment, next step rehab.Is doing well!!
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) March 13, 20123/20/12 update from dUg…
jerry will head home tomorrow!! were so glad he made it!!!
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dUg pinnick (@69douglas) March 20, 20123/21/12 update… he’s left the building…
4/4/12 update video from Jerry…
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Parachute Years
Mike Portnoy leaves Dream Theater
I know, this is probably old news to some (Sept 8th), but I just got back… sigh… makes me sad (and kind of angry at the other guys for just not wanting to take a breather)…
From Mike Portnoy’s MySpace blog:
I am about to write something I never imagined I’d ever write:
After 25 years, I have decided to leave Dream Theater….the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century.
To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision…it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so….
After having had such amazing experiences playing with Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in Dream Theater…
Please don’t misinterpret me, I love the DT guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them…it’s just that I think we are in serious need of a little break…
Dream Theater was always my baby…and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985…24/7, 365…never taking time off from DT’s never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was “off” between cycles)…working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band…
But I’ve come to the conclusion that the DT machine was starting to burn me out…and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DT spirit hungry and inspired.
We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here & there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a “hiatus” to recharge our batteries and “save me from ourselves”…
Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather…I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be…
While it truly hurts for me to even think of a Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way…so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes….
Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DT and I talked about “always following your heart and being true to yourself”…sadly I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with Dream Theater…and I would simply be “going through the motions”, and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed.
I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come…I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played….
I’m sorry to all the disappointed DT fans around the world…I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work…I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)…but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within….
You DT fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me….(and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future MP projects!)
Sadly…
Your fearless ex-leader and drummer,
MP
“Move on be brave, don’t weep at my grave, because I am no longer here…
But please never let your memory of me disappear….”
— The Spirit Carries On
Allison Miller’s BOOM TIC BOOM
I got this email this past week about a new album from Ani DiFranco drummer Allison Miller – who I can say was a delight to watch play when I saw her with Ani in the spring of 2008. The album description sounds fantastic to me! I can’t wait to hear it.
The example that Miller sets on BOOM TIC BOOM is that of a powerhouse drummer with an unerring sense of swing and a moving melodicism; an inventive composer with a gift for memorable tunes that leave ample space for bright improvisations; and a bandleader who ably marries these pieces with the right collaborators to breathe life into them. Here, those collaborators are pianist/composer Myra Melford; longtime collaborator Todd Sickafoose on bass; and guest violinist Jenny Scheinman on one track.
Half of the album is comprised of original pieces penned by Miller during a one-month break from the road during the summer of 2008. The diversity of influences evident in the music belies the short time span in which it was written but is reflective of the wealth of musical experience that makes up Miller’s résumé.
For BOOM TIC BOOM, Miller assembled a trio that she knew would stretch the limits of the music she had written. “I come from a straight ahead jazz tradition,” she explains, “but I play so many different styles of music that I don’t want to stick strictly to that tradition. So, for BOOM TIC BOOM I wanted more of an avant-garde approach to my semi-traditional compositions.”
http://www.allisonmiller.com/ – Order the CD
I dig Allison, in addition to both Todd Sickafoose and Jenny Scheinman. I think this is gonna be right up my alley…
~Dan – np: Heatmiser – Cop and Speeder
pulling hrabbits out of hrats
No, this isn’t about magicians pulling rabbits out of hats… or scientists (pulling habits out of rats?). This post is all about Mr. George Hrab (aka “Geo”).
I found Geo’s podcast last October. It quickly shot up to being one of my favorite podcasts, then I got his CDs from CDBaby (I♥CDBaby), and I loved his music even more. He’s got a love for Frank Zappa and the Talking Heads, interesting fauna, science, skepticism (of woo-woo and other things), big band arrangements, great drumming, humor in music, seriousness in music, constant learning / teaching (reading through his liners, that’s apparent), and maintaining all around professionalism as a musician. He has his own music plus he drums (& conducts the bidness end of things) for the Philadelphia Funk Authority.
Anyway, via his podcasts, he puts out about an album’s worth of comedy & rockin’ gold every week… for free. Every Thursday morning, it’s on my “must listen now” rotation, no matter how big my backlog of other podcasts may be.
Geo’s Podcast RSS:
Geo’s Podcast on iTunes (FYI… podcasts are free):
Geo’s also a big dork. I say that in the good way. He recently wrapped up his “Occasional Songs for the Periodic Table” songs… 118 elements… 75 minutes (or so). Some great stuff… the songs / the lyrics
His CDs are great… and his packaging on them is superb. He puts a lot of thought into the unique way that he packages each one. From the sprawling art of Minutæ, the tin case and prescription look and feel of Vitriol, the textbook / field study guide arrangement of Coelacanth, and the sleek dualism of Interrobang?!.
A clever, Brady Bunch-ish video for “The Assumption” from Interrobang?! “The Assumption” is sort of indicative of his pop music side, but he also gets funky, rocky, proggy, instrumental and vocal songs, et cetera on his records.
Sample some of his other songs on iTunes or CDBaby (samples in both venues). Some of my favs from each album…
[sic] (1996) “[sic]” (#10)
Minutiæ (1999) “Minutiæ (Sheer Brick AM)” (#12)
Vitriol (2001) “Monkey Hip Dysplasia” (#1)
Coelacanth (2003) “The Coelacanth Sighs” (#8 )
Interrobang?! (2006) “Who Dogs the Outlet” (#12)
His book, called Non-Coloring Book, is compiled from blog posts, podcast bits, and additional new material is also quite funny. I got it on Lulu.com via the PDF version for only $3.95. It’s also available as a physical book (for slightly more).
Anyway, this is my “I love George Hrab” post. Soon, you’ll write your own “I love George Hrab” post, I’m sure.
http://www.geologicrecords.net/ (his record company)
http://www.geologicpodcast.com/ (his podcast)
http://www.georgehrab.com/ (his blog)
http://www.phillyfunk.com/ (his funk band)
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
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